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Say goodbye to the days of tough and overcooked beef – forever. This is The Ultimate Easy Beef Tenderloin, and it comes together in just a matter of minutes with a few simple and easy ingredients. This delicious cut of meat is small, lean, and bursting with flavor, making it the perfect dish to serve as an easy weeknight dinner, or even at your holiday dinner table!
Friends, how do you determine what your favorite food is? Do you pick what sounds best in the moment, what you love to eat on a special occasion, or what you continuously reach for time and time again? For me, I pick the food that I continuously reach for and that answer is simple: steak!
There are so many different ways to enjoy steak. From a classic NY strip steak to a hefty prime rib, there is nothing I love more than a tender, juicy steak served alongside some crispy potatoes and a fresh and vibrant salad. Truly, what could be better than that?
But one of my favorite cuts of steak, hands-down, is the beef tenderloin. This lean cut of meat is small, thin, and packed with flavor. The only downside is… it’s pricy. And with grocery prices on the rise, it’s not a cut of meat that you can afford to mess up. That’s where this recipe comes in.
This recipe is such a simple and easy way to prepare beef tenderloin, and the best part is, it’s also foolproof. It’s practically impossible to mess it up! It turns out tender and perfectly pink, every single time, and has an unbeatable herby crust that makes it taste luxurious. Whether you serve this tenderloin for a hearty Christmas dinner or simply want to elevate a weeknight dinner, you can’t go wrong with having this recipe in your back pocket.
What You Need to Make This Simple & Easy Beef Tenderloin
- Beef Tenderloin: Of course, beef tenderloin is essential to this recipe. This very lean cut of meat is small, thin, and turns out perfect every single time!
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is a key ingredient, both when it comes to preparing the beef tenderloin itself and preparing the marinade.
- Olive Oil: A high-quality oil like olive oil gives this beef tenderloin a rich flavor. You can also use avocado oil, if you prefer.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is absolutely essential to this recipe and gives it the best flavor. Don’t skip this!
- Fresh Herbs: To add a bright, fresh flavor to this tenderloin, I love using both fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
- Seasonings: A blend of onion powder and ground black pepper gives this beef tenderloin the perfect flavor!
How to Make This Perfectly Juicy Beef Tenderloin
To make this beef tenderloin, start by preheating your oven to 275 F. Next, line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the beef tenderloin on top of it. Use your hands to rub half of the kosher salt onto the beef tenderloin and set it aside.
Next, prepare the marinade by whisking together the olive oil, mashed garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, onion powder, ground black pepper, and remaining kosher salt in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Then, rub the marinade all over the beef tenderloin, ensuring that all sides are covered in the marinade.
Insert a meat thermometer into the meat, if using. If you opt to not use a meat thermometer, see the recipe notes! Finally, place the tenderloin into the oven and allow it to cook until it reaches your desired internal temperature. For rare, this is approximately 130 F, or 50 minutes in the oven. For medium rare, this is approximately 135-140 F, or 1 hour and 10 minutes in the oven.
Once the meat has cooked to your desired temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Then, serve and enjoy!
Tip: How to Make This Beef Tenderloin Without the Thermometer
Because beef tenderloin is a rather fragile cut of meat, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that it cooks properly. You can absolutely use a traditional meat thermometer (and pay attention to the temperatures listed below), but I love my Yummly Smart Thermometer. This thermometer connects to your phone via bluetooth, and allows you to pre-set your desired cook on the meat. The thermometer will send a notification to your phone once the meat reaches its optimal temperature, which means you can relax and trust that the meat is cooking perfectly!
But, if you don’t have a meat thermometer and don’t want to purchase one, here’s my trick for ensuring that this beef tenderloin turns out perfect, every time.
A general rule-of-thumb for cooking beef tenderloin without a meat thermometer is to cook it according to how many inches thick that the beef tenderloin is and what type of cook you desire. See below:
- Rare (120-125°F): 10-12 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Medium-Rare (130-135°F): 12-14 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Medium-Well (140-145°F): 14-16 minutes per inch of thickness.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Say goodbye to the days of tough and overcooked beef – forever. This is The Ultimate Easy Beef Tenderloin, and it comes together in just a matter of minutes with a few simple and easy ingredients. This delicious cut of meat is small, lean, and bursting with flavor, making it the perfect dish to serve as an easy weeknight dinner, or even at your holiday dinner table!
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds Beef Tenderloin with the fat removed and tied two inches apart
- 3 Tablespoons Kosher Salt divided
- ½ Cup Olive Oil
- 6 Cloves Garlic mashed
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme finely chopped
- 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this beef tenderloin, start by preheating your oven to 275 F.
- Next, line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the beef tenderloin on top of it.
- Use your hands to rub half of the kosher salt onto the beef tenderloin and set it aside.
- Next, prepare the marinade by whisking together the olive oil, mashed garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, onion powder, ground black pepper, and remaining kosher salt in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Then, rub the marinade all over the beef tenderloin, ensuring that all sides are covered in the marinade.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the meat, if using. If you opt to not use a meat thermometer, see the recipe notes!
- Finally, place the tenderloin into the oven and allow it to cook until it reaches your desired internal temperature. For rare, this is approximately 130 F, or 50 minutes in the oven. For medium rare, this is approximately 135-140 F, or 1 hour and 10 minutes in the oven.
- Once the meat has cooked to your desired temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Then, serve and enjoy!
Notes
I highly recommend using a meat thermometer in order to cook this beef tenderloin. My favorite is the Yummly Smart Thermometer – it connects to your phone via the Yummly app, and sends you a notification once the meat has reached your desired internal temperature and cook.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, a general rule of thumb is to cook the beef tenderloin according to how thick the meat is and what level of cook you desire.
- Rare (120-125°F): 10-12 minutes per inch of thickness. The tenderloin will be very soft and red in the center.
- Medium-Rare (130-135°F): 12-14 minutes per inch of thickness. The center will be slightly pink with a warm red hue.
- Medium-Well (140-145°F): 14-16 minutes per inch of thickness. The center will be mostly pink with a hint of red.
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Rate + Review
Best beef tenderloin I’ve ever made. I will be making this for my daughter’s wedding reception for a large crowd. Thank you!
I am thrilled to hear that, Ann! Thank you so much for your review!